Toddlers

by Sergi Belbel, Yolanda García Serrano, Paco Mir, Jordi Mollà, Joan Ollé, David Plana, Josep Pere Peyró and T de Teatre
directed by: David Plana and T de Teatre

15 scenes on the great distance that sometimes separates the old ones from the young ones

Synopsis

Toddlers is the crowning glory of an involuntary trilogy: if women were the protagonists of the first show, and men of the second, it seemed logical that children should be the true protagonists of this third production.

However, Toddlers is not a discourse on childrearing, nor is it a string of nostalgic memories of innocent times. It is fifteen scenes that portray the terrible gulf that sometimes separates grown-ups and children.

The refreshingly short texts are furthermore attractive in that they deal with serious (often taboo) issues from a comic point of view (using unforgiving, razor-sharp, caustic humour). They are written by Sergi Belbel, Yolanda García Serrano, Paco Mir, Jordi Mollà, Joan Ollé, J. Pere Peyró, David Plana and two members of T de Teatre, Àgata Roca and Míriam Iscla, working as writers for the first time.

The authors offer us their personal view on childhood and by extension, adulthood. They attack mothers who hate their children or who use them to overcome their own traumas. They also satirise children who are lost in a world they do not understand. The texts contain a selection of letters to the Three Kings, which bring to light our most hidden, intimate wishes. They also help us find our inner child, which causes us to end up hating the adults we have become.

Once again, they do not hide their acidity and insolence. No-one is picked on: they attack parents and children alike.

In contrast to the previous two shows, this one has a faster pace set by the text itself. Toddlers is made up of fifteen little stories, compared to the six misogynous tales or seven stories about masculinity.

Once again, they opted for a simple set. The imaginary world of a child suggests a world with more light and more colour than in previous shows. Jon Berrondo based his stage design on children’s building blocks. Huge goldfish suggest multiple shapes and fill the various spaces.

To design the costumes, César Olivar was inspired by the famous cut-out dolls with easily changeable cut-out clothes. This cut-out technique allows the actresses to change quickly from role to role: father, mother, boy or girl. The show is a world of colours that greatly highlights the acting and singing.

This is the first T de Teatre show with four actresses on stage (previously there had always been five), because one of the five, Àgata Roca, works as the director’s assistant on this show, which is co-directed by T de Teatre and David Plana.

Toddlers is a show for everyone who has ever been a child.

B for Biography

Toddlers was first staged in the Paseo la Plaza in Buenos Aires in April 1998.
In Barcelona, it premiered in September 1998 in Teatre Poliorama to great popular and critical acclaim. In 1999, the show toured Catalonia and subsequently ran for eight months in the Lara Theatre in Madrid.

After that, the show went on a nationwide tour for several more months and returned to Barcelona, where it was staged again in the Teatre Poliorama during the Christmas season 2000.

F for Figures

670 performances watched by 271,000 people

Credits

Actresses: Mamen Duch, Míriam Iscla, Marta Pérez and Carme Pla

Cast stand-ins: Chantal Aimée, Àgata Roca and Maria Lanau

Sets: Jon Berrondo
Wardrobe: César Olivar
Lighting design: Tito Rueda
Sound design: Miguel Espinosa
Original music: Òscar Roig
Choreography: Mar Gómez
Adaptation and choice of texts: Paco Mir and T de Teatre
Assistant director: Àgata Roca
Executive producer: Daniel López-Orós

Lighting operator: Carlos Lucena
Sound technician: Francisco Grande and Igor Pinto
Stage props: Mateu Vallhonesta, Marçal Vallhonesta and Cesc Batllè
Stage manager: Mateu Pascual and Carme Cané

Stage sets built by: La Forja del Vallès and Ankara
Wardrobe designed by: Peris
Soundtrack recording: Estudi Paramètric

Management: Mar Senespleda
Production assistant: Carmen Álvarez

Graphic design: Enric Jardí
Photography: Pau Ros, Sònia Balcells, Riera, Roger Velàquez and Frances Morera

Produced by T de Teatre with the collaboration of the Ministry of Culture (INAEM), the Department of Culture of the Generalitat de Catalunya and the Ajuntament of El Prat de Llobregat.

Show premiered at the Paseo la Plaza in Buenos Aires, April 24th 1998.

Toddlers

Toddlers

15 scenes on the great distance that sometimes separates the old ones from the young ones

Synopsis

Credits

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